I Married My Childhood School Crush for a Day to Avoid the Single Tax, but My Wife Has Been Acting Strange Lately - Chapter 12

“Delivery for you.”

I hurried to the door to pick up the package.

“What did you order?”

Shouta-kun asked, and I dodged the question with a vague answer.

“Um… just… some cosmetics.”

“Oh, I see. You order that kind of stuff online?”

Somehow, I managed to get away with it.

Then I went to my room, my hands a little shaky as I set the box on my desk.

The wrapping paper was a soft blue, and I had chosen a silver ribbon.

It was a gift for him. I wanted to see Shouta-kun’s happy face, so I picked a game based on advice I found online, “The Adventurer of the Lost Legacy.”

It was a newly released game, playable on PS5. I had even bought a PS5 beforehand, ready for this moment.

Apparently, the game had a deep story and required strategy. Even though I usually didn’t play games, I thought I could enjoy it too, and I wanted to play it together.

My heart was honestly pounding. I’d never felt this nervous giving a gift to someone before.

After dinner, the living room was softly lit, with the faint smell of coffee still in the air.

Shouta-kun was sitting on the sofa, fiddling with the TV remote.

I held the PS5 and the game in my hands while trying to calm my nerves.

Then I walked over to him. Sitting down beside Shouta-kun, who was absorbed in the TV, I felt the sofa sink a little under us and felt the warmth of his body close to mine. My heartbeat quickened.

“Shouta-kun, this… a gift for you. Thank you for everything.”

He noticed I was holding both a large box and a smaller one. His eyes widened.

“Huh? What’s this?”

I handed him the presents. Our fingers lightly brushed, and I felt the warmth.

He untied the ribbon and peeled off the paper. When he opened the box and saw what was inside, his face lit up. His eyes sparkled, and he smiled like a child at Christmas.

“Huh? A PS5? Really? Eh? Can I really have this?”

I smiled and nodded. The worry I had about whether he’d like it disappeared, and I felt happy too.

“This is… ‘The Adventurer of the Lost Legacy’. Really? Thank you! I’ve been wanting to play this!”

His voice was full of excitement, and his eyes shone.

“This… It’s my way of saying thanks for always helping me. I’m a beginner at games, but I think I can do it too…”

“There’s no burden at all. But thank you. Alright, let’s play!”

Shouta-kun immediately nodded and set up the console.

The logo appeared on the TV screen, opening up a world of adventure. Music played, filling the room with a magical feeling.

We sat side by side on the sofa and started playing. At first, I struggled with the controls, but I quickly got the hang of it and got pulled into the game’s story.

I had never really played games much before, but this was really fun.

“Ah, there’s a trap here. Go around to the left and grab the item.”

When I gave him the instructions, he muttered, “Huh? Here?” I saw his face, and my heart skipped a beat.

Then our shoulders brushed, and the warmth made me nervous.

…This is bad… I feel so happy.

But… that’s why… there’s a thorn in my heart.

That photo…

◇

The next day, I talked to Kawashima at work.

“Hey, is this I’m-gonna-brag-about-my-girlfriend talk?”

“No, it’s not. You asked what I did on my day off, right?”

“You’re really in love? Thinking about stalker precautions is important, but don’t forget, you’ve got to win your wife’s heart too.”

His words made me think. My feelings for Riona were starting to go beyond just pretending. But if she found out, this whole relationship would probably end.

Then I got a message, “Can you pick me up again today?”

I replied, “Of course.”

“So… what’s the plan? Any precautions?”

“That’s why I’m asking you. You’re good with the internet.”

“You’ve already done the basics, right? Other than that… I guess we’d have to ask the police. Ah, but… maybe there’s one more thing we can do.”

Even though I was shocked, I went along with his suggestion.

After work, I waited in front of her company like usual. She came out smiling and walked toward me.

We held hands and walked home. On the way, she said, “Let’s keep playing the game.”

Hearing that made me really happy.

At home, we had dinner and then continued the game. The adventure on the screen felt like it reflected our own relationship. Her smile made me feel so happy.

◇

A few days ago.

Since my friend’s advice wasn’t helpful, I kept thinking.

I wanted to find something that would make Shouta-kun even happier as a gift.

I tried asking him casually what he wanted, but he didn’t give me a clear answer.

So, while he was still asleep, I sneaked into his room again.

I quietly left the bedroom and opened the door to the next room.

I hoped to find some hint… and my eyes fell on a small photo frame tucked in a corner.

Feeling a little guilty, I couldn’t help but peek.

It was… a photo from high school. Shouta-kun and Miyano-san are smiling together. It was a warm and happy picture.

He had told me before that he wasn’t in touch with Miyano-san anymore.

But… the fact that he brought it into this house, does that mean he still has feelings for her?

Am I really just someone he’s reluctantly seeing?

A sharp pain stabbed my chest.

A type of hurt I had never felt before.

A wave of disgust, and emotions bubbling up inside me.

Jealousy?

It twisted up from the deepest part of my heart.

Miyano-san’s smile burned into my mind and wouldn’t go away.

Shouta-kun’s expression looked truly happy.

I wondered… How does he feel now?

When he’s with me… is he even a little happy?

My chest tightened. Why does this hurt so much?

We’re in a fake relationship… So why am I jealous of her?

In the past, I could dismiss things like this as just the past, but now… I can’t.

My chest felt hot, and my breath grew shallow.

Maybe she… is more suited to him than I am.

Compared to a warm and caring woman like Miyano-san… someone boring and only practical like me couldn’t measure up.

A few tears welled up, and I hurriedly wiped my eyes.

Illogical. Inefficient.

These feelings were shaking the carefully calculated world I had built.

Miyano-san’s presence was slowly chipping away at the confidence I had worked so hard to gather.

If Shouta-kun still had feelings for her… was this fake relationship just a burden to him?

“…No.”

I put the photo back where it had been and left the room. Inside, my heart was restless and unable to calm down.